Town's Attempt To Disband Fails

Less than a decade after their city was formed, Damascus residents have voted to disband the troubled suburb, but their efforts fell short anyway.
The Oregonian reports (http://bit.ly/1b7rEPC) a measure to disincorporate the city southeast of Portland failed Tuesday because it didn't gain a majority of all the registered voters in the city, as required by state law.
Final, unofficial results showed the vote was about 64-36, with nearly 2,900 yes votes. But the measure needed more than 3,400 votes to pass.
When the city in rolling countryside was formed in 2004, residents hoped to control their own destiny amid urban expansion, but they have been split over planning issues. Damascus also has seen political drama that earlier this year led to the departure of the seventh city manager.